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Most of Japan's martial arts, or budo, have histories extending back to the protohistoric era. Yabusame, or archery on horseback, can be traced to the seventh century. With the rise of the warrior class in the late twelfth century, the bushi or samurai (members of the warrior class) trained in such disciplines as kenjutsu (sword art), iaijutsu (sword-drawing art), jujutsu (unarmed combat), kyujutsu (Japanese archery), sojutsu (spear art), bajutsu (horsemanship), and suijutsu (swimming). These gradually became standardized into styles or schools, which continued even after the country's feudal domains were pacified during the Edo period (1603---1868). [Source: Web-Japan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan]
“With the abolishment of the social class system of the Edo period soon after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the warrior class, which had dominated the farmer, artisan, and merchant classes (the shi-no-ko-sho system), disappeared; and with the adoption of modern military weaponry, participation in some of these arts declined. In 1895, following the Sino-Japanese War, a national organization called the Dai Nippon Budo Kai (The Great Japan Martial Arts Association) centralized martial arts and oversaw their introduction into the educational system. This led to the revival of many of the arts. [Ibid]
“Following World War II, Occupation authorities imposed a ban on martial arts for five years, because those that had been revived before the war were thought to foster the regimentation and nationalistic spirit that led to the growth of militarism. The ban was lifted in 1950, and efforts were made to stress they are positive aspects, treating them as sports rather than martial arts. [Ibid]
Karate
Karate is the phonetic spelling of a Japanese word meaning "empty hands." It is generally used to describe the empty-handed arts of punching, kicking, striking and blocking in Japan and Okinawa. A person who practices karate is called a karateka. In karate, every part of the body can be turned into a fighting weapon. But equally important are defensive techniques used to sidestep or block an opponent's thrusts and kicks. One aspect of training includes repeatedly striking a makiwara, a post covered with straw, to toughen the skin covering the knuckles, wrists, balls of the feet, and other areas. More advanced practitioners often demonstrate their power by smashing boards or breaking roof tiles, but this is not recommended for beginners.
Karate movements tend to be straight ahead and direct, like Korean Tae Kwon, do, not circular like kung fu and judo. Tae kwon do and karate is oriented towards delivering kicks blows. Tae kwon do emphasize kicking while karate stresses blow. There are approximately 100 different kinds of karate.
There are an estimated 60 million people practicing karate worldwide. The World Karate Federation is the main organizing body for karate. It is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and has 178 member countries. Karate is aiming to be an Olympic sport.
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